Tube-cleaning apparatus



J. H. WHITE AND E. l. FRANKLIN.

TUBE CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLlcAnoN FILED 1uLY14.192o.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TUBI H. WHITE AND EDWARD J. FRANKLIN, OF HAYDEN, ARIZONA.

TUBE-CLEANIN G APPARATUS.

Application led July 14,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JoHN H. WHITE and EDWARD J. FRANKLIN, both citizens of the United States and residents of Hayden, i1l the county of Gila and State of Arizona, have invented a new and Improved Tube- Cleaning Apparatus, of which the followingY is a full, clear, and exact description.

his invention relates to improvements in tube cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus designed for the removal of scale, sludge, or incrustants from the tubes or pipes of surface condensers, boilers, heaters, evaporators, coolers, and like devices, an object of the invention being to provide means whereby either a liquid, semi-liquid or particles of solid matter are drawn through the tubes by suction or partial vacuum to effectually clean the interior of the tubes.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the character stated which can be readily laced in position to operate on any ofthe a ove referred to devices, and which will quickly and effectually clean the tubes without damaging the same.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating our invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in longitudinal section illustratingr one of the nozzles and its hose connection.

1 represents a surface condenser provided with .the ordinary arrangement of longitudinal tubes 2, and while we have illustrated our invention in connection with the condenser, it is, of course. to be understood that it may be employed in connection with any tubular structure in which the interior of the tubes is to be cleaned.

We employ two tanks A and B, The tank A constitutes a supply reservoir and is open at its top and provided with a. drain cock 3 at the bottom thereof. The tank B is a receiving tank and is closed. This tank B is provided with a sediment drain cock 4 at the bottom thereof and with a suction pipe 7 at the top thereof adapted to be connected with any approved pump or other vacuum creat- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 396,213.

ing device, and this pipe 7 is provided with a cock 8 to control the flow therethrough. A gage 9 is provided at the side of tank B to indicate the level of liquid l0 therein and a pipe 11 communicates with the top of the tank B and has a cock 12 therein. This pipe l] may be utilized as an air pressure pipe as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The tank A is provided with a return pipe 13 communicating with the lower portion thereof and having a cock 14 therein. This pipe 13 is adapted to return the liquid 10 from tank B into tank A and, hence, the said pipe 13 discharges into the top of the tank A as shown at l5.

An outlet pipe or hose 16 communicates with the lower portion of tank A and is submerged below the liquid 10 in the latter. This pipe 16 is provided with a nozzle 17 which may be of wood, metal, or any other suitable material, and which is of tapering or conical form as shown clearly in Fig. 2, so that it can be tightly wedged in the end of one of the tubes 2 to render the connection air and liquid tight.

An inlet pipe 18 is provided in the top of tank B and a cock 19 located in the pipe 18 controls the How of material therethrough. This pipe 18 has a hose connection 20, the latter provided with a nozzle 21 similar to the nozzle 17 and located in the opposite end of the tube 2 in which the nozzle 17 is positioned.

When the parts are arranged as above described, a partial vacuum is created within the tank B and the suction thereof causes the liquid 10 in tank A to flow through pipe 16, nozzle 17, tube 2, nozzle 21, hose 20, and pip;7 18 into the tank B.

hile we refer to the material 10 as a liquid, it is to be understood that this material may be a liquid, a semi-liquid, or particles of solid matter which can be sucked through the tubes 2. 1n case liquid or semiliquid is employed, the removal of scale, etc., is by chemical reaction, while with solid part1cles the removal is accomplished mechanically.

This invention is, of course, not limited to the material which is used as a cleaning agent, but is rather to the ap aratus itself which causes a movement o said agent through the tubes by suction or partial vacuum so as to clean the tubes and deposit the agent and the foreign matter in a tank from which the agent can be transferred back to the original or supply tank as may be desired. This return of the cleaning agent may be by gravity or by pressure and When pressure is desired, the pipe 11 may be utilized through which compressed air or other gas may be forced into the tank B to exert the necessary pressure on the cleaning agent.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described Without departing from the invention, and hence We do not limit ourselves to the precise details set forth, but consider ourselves at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An apparatus of the character stated,

comprising a supply tank containing a cleaning agent, a receiving tank, means for directing the cleaning agent into one end of a tube, means for connecting the other end of said tube with said receiving tank, said receiving tank constituting a suction or partial vacuum chamber to cause the cleaning agentto move from the supply tank through the tube and into the receiving tank, and means for directing the return of said cleaning agent from the receiving tank into the supply tank. c l

2. An apparatus of the character described, comprising an open supply tank adapted to contain a cleaning agent, a closed receiving tank having a partial vacuum therein, a pipe communicating with the agent in the supply tank, a pipe communicating with the receiving tank, and nozzles on said pipes adapted to be tightly positioned in the respective ends of a tube to be cleaned.

3. An apparatus of the character described, comprising an open supply tank adapted to contain a cleaning agent, a closed receiving tank having a partial vacuum therein, a pipe communicating with the agent in the supply tank, a pipe communicating with the receiving tank, nozzles on said pipes adapted to be tightly positioned in the respective ends of a tube to be cleaned, and a return pipe' connecting the receiving tank With the supply tank.

4. An apparatus of the character described, comprising an open supply tank having a cleaning agent therein, a closed receiving tank, a suction pipe communicating with the receiving tank, a flexible pipe communicating with the receiving tank, a supply pipe communicating with the supply tank beloiv the level of cleaning agent therein, and conical tapering nozzles on the ends of said last-mentioned pipes adapted to be tightly engaged in the respective ends oit a tube to be cleaned.

5. An apparatus of the character described, comprising an open supply tank having a cleaning agent therein, a closed receiving tank, a suction pipe communicating with the receiving tank, a flexible pipe communicating with the receiving tank, a supply pipe communicating With the supply tank belov7 the level of cleaning agent therein, conical tapering nozzles on the ends ot.' said last-mentioned pipes adapted to be tightly engaged in the respective ends of a tube to be cleaned, drain cocks at the lower portions of said tanks, a return pipe connecting the receiving tank With the supply tank, and a cock in said last-mentioned pipe.

6. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a supply tank, and a receiving tank, means for directing a cleaning agent from the supply tank into one end of a tube, means for direct-ing said cleaning agent from the other end of said tube into the receiving tank, a cock controlling the passage through said last-mentioned means, and a valved suction pipe communicating with the receiving tank.

JOHN H. WHITE. EDWARD J. FRANKLIN. 

